Let It Snow
by The Shadow Hawk
Summary: Set after the final case of DD (spoilers), Phoenix just wants to wrap up the case and paperwork so he can enjoy a holiday with his friends and family. But an unexpected visitor brings his work to grinding halt. But no one said that was a bad thing. (Slowly working on part 2)


Let It Snow

By: The Shadow Hawk

"Papa, are you sure you don't want to come home with us?" Trucy stuck out her lower lip, pouting at her father's suggestion for the rest of the group to go on ahead.

"I've got a lot of paperwork to fill out. I'll catch up." He sighed.

"But you look really tired Mr. Nick. And tomorrow's Christmas. Can't it wait?"

"If I don't get it done now, I won't Pearls. I'm sorry."

"Wright, we still have plenty of time to complete the case files." Edgeworth eyed his friend suspiciously. "I'm not one to put work off, but it's been quite the week. We all need time to relax a bit. We deserve the holiday."

"I'm fine. Really." He tried to muster up a smile but he knew it was hardly convincing. "I've got to get this done. I'll enjoy tomorrow more if I get all this done tonight." He waved them off and parted ways with the group before they could protest any more. More than doing paperwork, he need a quiet moment alone to think. The case had been intense enough and the following few days hadn't been any calmer. He needed to go back to the office and collect himself.

Locking the office door behind him, Phoenix Wright dropped his briefcase on his desk, tossed his jacket on the back of the couch and didn't even look where he flung his vest and tie.

He opened the case with two soft clicks and stared at the mountain of papers to fill out. It had already been a long day, it was going to be an even longer night. The fear of losing everyone cared about had nearly destroyed him today. He had tried to hide his terror. He had definitely mustered his biggest smile at the time. But the thought that Aura could have potentially hurt his daughter made him sick to his stomach. Now he had to write it all up for the files.

The whole experience had seemed surreal. And putting pen to paper would make it real. He wasn't sure he wanted that. It took a solid five minutes of staring at the pile in the case before he could even pull it out to think about starting to fill it out.

But he finally took the stack out and set the first piece in front of him. Slowly, Phoenix reached for a pen and set it to paper to write in his name.

No sooner had he finished the P, someone jiggled the front door knob, and finding it locked, knocked on the door.

He glanced up. Who could be knocking on his door right now? Maybe they would go away.

H…

The person knocked again. Harder. Phoenix frowned. This wasn't what he needed right now.

O…

The person at the door started knocking out the beats to Christmas songs. Phoenix groaned softly. This wasn't happening. It just wasn't. "I'm sorry, we're closed!" He called out, not really caring if the person heard him or not.

E…N…

The knocking seemed to stop. He sighed, relieved. I…X…W…

The knocking became more of a pounding. He clenched his jaw. This was not going away. Any other night, he would have been fine with a late night visitor. Work was work. But right now, he figured it would be a while before he took on another case.

Slamming the pen back into the cup on his desk, he got up and stormed over to the door. "I've very sorry. The Wright Anything Agency is closed for the holiday. Please come back next week!"

A moment of silence. But he knew the person hadn't walked away. He would have heard the footsteps. So this was a standoff, was it? Fine. The paperwork could wait. Sort of. It would have to. He couldn't do his work knowing this person was standing out here, with their extremely annoying knock.

The clock on his wall ticked away the seconds he and his unwanted visitor stood in silence. He wasn't leaving until he heard footsteps. He wasn't sure what would make them leave.

He gritted his teeth when the visitor pounded again. This wasn't going to work. He'd have to get rid of them himself. Frustrated beyond belief, Phoenix flung open the door.

"As I said, I'm very sorry but we're-" The air rushed out of his lungs as though someone punched him in the stomach when he finally saw his visitor.

"I heard you the first time, silly. But I'm not here on business. It's Christmas Eve." Maya Fey, the last person he expected to be at his door step, grinned and held up a bag. "I brought dinner. Let's eat."

She pushed past the stunned defense lawyer with dinner in hand. "M-Maya…" The door closed of its own accord behind her. It had been ages since he'd see her. Sure they'd exchanged letters and phone calls over the years, but they hadn't been able to actually see each other for an eternity.

And while she looked very much the same, she did look more mature. She was taller that was for sure. Her figure had filled out giving her a very similar silhouette to her late sister though her longer robes didn't exactly show it off well. Her hair, no doubt still extremely long, was pulled back into a simpler bun and the beads in her hair were smaller. But she still had the same magatama around her neck. Her smile still made his heart skip a beat.

Though he might have had an even bigger shock from her buying dinner for once.

"Pearly called and said you were having a terrible time with your last case. So I may have completed my training early and escaped to see you. I know I'm a little late to help with the case but-" She barely set the bag down before Phoenix nearly tackled her into a massive hug. "Nick!" He buried his face in her hair and refused to let go.

Maya recovered from her shock quickly and wrapped her arms around Phoenix, holding him tightly. "Maya…I'm so glad you're here. This last week…"

"I know Nick." She looked up at him and smiled. "Let's get some food in you. Then we talk."

Nearly in tears, Nick managed a smile. "Yeah. Dinner sound good right now. What'd you bring? Burgers?"

"I did bring you chicken." Nick's eyes widened. "Hope you don't mind."

She brought dinner and she remember he preferred chicken over beef. This had to be a dream. "Why would I?"

They parked on the couch in the office, the bag of food on the table in front of them, an episode of Steel Samurai playing on the TV. Part of him was surprised she was still into it. He wasn't sure how much time she had to indulge in Steel Samurai reruns now that she was the master of Kurain. But he reminded himself Edgeworth still like the show. If he could like it, Maya certainty could. It wasn't like Phoenix was really paying attention to the show though. He was just glad Maya was there. He really could have used her by his side during the last trial.

Admittedly though…had she been with him, she might have gotten caught by Aura Blackquill as well. And over the years, Maya had been through enough. Another kidnapping might make her reconsider hanging around him. The possibility of losing his daughter and the woman he secretly loved in the same breath made him cold. Well, somewhat secretly loved. Pearl knew he loved Maya. And reasonably sure Trucy knew as well. And Apollo probably had an inkling given the way he talked about her in passing. It would probably only take Athena or Blackquill a second to see it. Either way, he couldn't bear losing her.

"What?"

Phoenix snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Maya was looking at him. "What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Do I have something on my face?"

"No. Why?"

"You were looking at me funny."

"I was?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry. I spaced." He scratched the back of his head nervously. Even if it had been a long week, it was probably a bad idea to shamelessly ogle the object of his affection like that.

"It's ok." She took another bit of her burger. "As long as there's nothing wrong with my face."

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I mention how glad I am that you're here?" Maya snuggled closer to him. "And I have to say, even when you weren't here, you were a big help."

"What do you mean?"

"We never would have been able to conduct Simon's retrial if you hadn't sent Pearls with the letter. You gave me the idea to have the trial in the bombed out courtroom."

She titled her head to the side. "I thought you were already holding a trial there."

He chuckled. "You need to get your news from slightly better sources." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "But still, Trucy might have gotten hurt if we hadn't done it."

"I'm glad she's ok. I'm glad everyone's ok." Maya finished off her third burger and looked like she was contemplating another. Phoenix never really understood where she kept it all. She looked up at him. "Are you finally going to get a good night's sleep now? You look terrible."

He grimaced. "Harsh Maya."

"Well, you do. You look like you've aged about 10 years since the last time I saw you."

He didn't really feel like mentioning that it had nearly been that long since they'd seen each other. The last thing he felt like doing was reminding himself of how long they'd been apart. While they'd still kept in contact through the occasional letter, it didn't compare to being in the same room. "Yeah well…now I can sleep without worrying I'll lose my junior partners or my daughter. Or thinking about how it could have been my fault that an innocent man was executed."

"Speaking of Simon Blackquill, are you really going to take on his sister's defense? There's really no denying she held like…twelve people hostage, including Trucy…"

"No there isn't but…if I force myself to think about the situation, I do understand what she was trying to do. I wish my daughter hadn't been involved. It still kinda makes me sick…but I have to admit, I don't know if I believe she was really going to hurt any of the hostages. She just wanted to be heard. Sometimes you have to go to the extreme to get your point across. I'll probably be pleading for less prison time for her. After all, no one ended up getting hurt and without her, Simon might have been executed. We never would have found the Phantom either."

"So she went to the Wright School of Big Bluffs?" Maya giggled.

"Hey, it works doesn't it? Sometimes I just need more time than the prosecution wants to give me. Bluffing confuses them." He smiled.

She grinned. "I miss seeing you work your magic in court. I wish I didn't have to stay in Kurain all the time."

"How long can you stay for now?"

"I'll be in town for three days. Then I have to take Pearly back with me."

"How's her training coming along?"

Maya grimaced. "She's so much better than I was at her age. I feel pretty silly being the head of Kurain when Pearly is so much better than I am. But…I've been working with the elders. I'm pushing for a new system of leadership in the village."

"A new system?"

"Nick…I'm only the master because I belong to the main branch. I'm a pretty average spirit medium at best…"

"I wouldn't say that."

"I'm not saying I suck. But I'm not Pearly. Succession should be based on ability, not what part of the family tree you're on. Pearly is going to take my place as master when she turns 18. I know I didn't take my place as master until 20 but that's only because my powers still weren't really adequate."

"Is she okay with this?"

"Yeah. We've talked about it a lot. Kurain needs a strong master. And even though she's young, she was meant for the role. Not me. I never really wanted to be the master."

Phoenix sighed. Pearl's 18th birthday was more than half a year off. "So…then what are you going to do once she's named head of Kurain?"

"Well…I was kind of hoping to come back here."

"Here?"

"Yeah. I miss you a lot. And you obviously need me around." She grinned again. "I want to come back as your assistant. I know I'm not a lawyer but I can still do a lot."

Truer words were never spoken. Phoenix desperately needed her around. "I was hoping you'd say that. I'd love for you to come back."

Her grin widened. "Yay! Wright and Fey will be back in action!"

"There is something I'd like you to consider in the time between now and Pearls being name head of Kurain."

She blinked. "What's that?"

"Well…" Phoenix scratched his head nervously again. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. But if he didn't do this now, he might never work up the nerve again. "The thing is…we've been through so much together…and I realized…I love you Maya…and I-"

Before he could get another word out, Maya pounced on him, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. His shock at her soft lips on his quickly died away and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. "I love you too, Nick. I always have." She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him in for another kiss.

Phoenix was having an increasingly harder time convincing himself this wasn't a dream. Maya did love him? She seemed to have no intention of letting him go right now. Which he didn't mind. All he wanted right now was to hold her and profess his love for her time and again.

It was a while before he pulled back to breath. She looked so beautiful, her cheeks flushed and her dark chocolate eyes shining with love meant only for him. "Maya, I can't imagine my life without you in it. And I don't mean just taking back your office assistant job. The thing is…I was kinda hoping you'd consider marrying me when you're out of Kurain."

Maya looked at him with wide eyes. For a terrifying minute, Phoenix was sure he'd made the wrong move. It was too soon. He knew he should have asked her out for burgers first. How could he have gone from 'I love you' to 'Marry me?' so quickly. Then her grin came back. "What's to consider? Of course I'll marry you!" She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. "There's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. You mean everything to me, Nick."

Phoenix shifted on the couch, allowing him to lean back on the arm rest, bringing her with him. Maya went with it, settling between his legs, showing his face in kisses, paying special attention to his lips when she cam around to them. Phoenix clutched her tightly, desperate to feel her body against his. "Maya…"

Maya grabbed his face and kissed him again. "Shush Nick. Let's just enjoy this."

All he managed was a small grunt of agreement and slipped his hands lower to her rear and squeezed softly. She groaned happily and rocked her hips against him. He moaned softly, his thoughts running wild about his former assistant.

But the moment was shattered when the phone rung loudly behind Phoenix's head. They both jumped with a yelp and Maya fell out of his lap onto the floor.

"Maya! Are you okay?" Phoenix made a mental note to unplug the damn phone for the rest of the night.

"I'm fine. Are you gonna get that?"

"I'd rather not." He glared at the phone and it died mid ring.

"It could have been important."

He rolled onto his side, looking at her curiously. "Not to be selfish but what could be more important than what we were doing?"

"Truuuuuuuue…"

The phone began to ring again. Phoenix let out a frustrated groan. "Dammit…"

"Maybe you should pick up…just to make sure it's not an emergency. What with how the week's been and all."

"I really don't want to…"

Maya smiled at him. "We'll pick up right where we left off, okay?"

"You win." He grabbed the phone and cleared his throat. "Hello?"

"_Papa! Why didn't you pick up before?"_

"I was…deeply involved in something…" He glanced at Maya as she picked herself up off the ground. "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

"_Have you looked out the window lately?"_

"No. Why?"

"_You haven't seen the snow?"_

"What snow?" He raised an eyebrow. Maya hopped over to the window and gasped when she opened the shade.

"_Papa, it's a total white out." _

"Nick! I can't see out the window! It's a total white out!"

"What?!" He looked back and forth between Maya and phone, having the same thing yelled at him from both sides.

"_Who was that? Who's in the office with you?"_

"Trucy…I'll call you back in a minute."

"_Wait, what are you-"_

Nick hung up the phone and joined Maya at the window. As she said, he couldn't see more than a foot or two past the glass. "Oh man…there was no warning about this on the news today. It wasn't even that cold when I left the others…I don't think I've ever seen snow in this city…and it finally happens and it's a blizzard. This is crazy."

"We're not going anywhere…are we Nick?"

"I don't think so. I can't see two feet in front of the window. We can't go out in weather like this. The roads will be hell. The city wasn't ready for this. Who knows if we'll even be able to get out tomorrow?"

"Wow…" Maya looked up at him. "This is how bad romance novel sex scenes start you know."

She giggled when his face turned bright red. "Maya!"

"Snowed in on Christmas Eve, after so many years apart. You have to admit it's a little cliché, Nick. After all…" She grinned. "We have to keep warm somehow."

Phoenix had to look away from her, his hand over his mouth. His mind was off and running. Again. Oh he was never going to survive tonight.

The phone rang again. Before Maya could grab it, Phoenix snatched it out of her reach and switched it to speaker phone. "Trucy?"

"_What the heck was that, Papa? Don't hang up on me like that in the middle of a blizzard. Are you still at the office? Are you okay? And who was that woman I heard in the background?"_

"I'm sorry Trucy. I just hadn't looked out the window. Yes. I'm still at the office. I'm fine. Looks like I'll be here all night. And the woman you heard was Maya. She came to visit."

"_Mystic Maya made it before the snow? I'm so glad."_

"Pearls, you knew?" Phoenix eyed Maya when he heard Pearl's voice. She shrugged.

"_She was really worried about you. She said she was gonna do her best to come for more than a night to see you." _

"Well, we're here and everything's ok. We'll just spend the night in the office and see how it goes in the morning."

"_Papa, are you and Miss Maya finally gonna do it?"_

"Trucy!" Both of them yelped this time, horrified by his daughter's question. Phoenix was also fairly sure he heard Athena and Apollo yell in the background while another voice, Simon's possibly, chuckled. He wondered if it was possible for the ground to just swallow him up. "I can't believe you just asked me that!"

"_It's not like any of us don't know."_ She laughed. _"As long as you're alright, we'll let you get back to keeping each other warm. Good night Papa. See you in the morning! Merry Christmas!"_

The line disconnected as Phoenix just stared at the phone in disbelief. "She's horrible sometimes…"

"Nick…"

"I'm sorry Maya. I can't believe she just said that…" He sighed. "There goes the moment."

She closed the shade on the window. No need to see any more snow for now. They'd see plenty in the morning. "For now anyway."

"My daughter just asked us if we were going to have sex and you think we can get the moment back?"

"We've got the whole night. Besides Nick…" She looked away for a moment, blushing. "I've been in love with you for years. And you finally told me you feel the same way. Nothing can ruin tonight for me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the couch. "Steel Samurai is almost over. Let's finish it."

Phoenix blushed hard. While he wasn't entirely sure how Steel Samurai would put them back in the mood, it made her happy. And he was over the moon knowing his feelings for her weren't in vain. So a little Steel Samurai was a small price to pay. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as the commercial ended and the episode started up again.

Not that he could pay attention to it even if he wanted to. All he could think about was her hip pressed against his and her hand on his knee. His pants were feeling increasingly tighter every time her thumb brushed against his leg. He glanced down at her and much to his surprise, she was looking up at him.

"I was wondering when you're get the message."

Phoenix smiled and leaned down to kiss her while switching off the TV. "Gimme a break. It's been a long week."

Maya shifted, straddling his lap so she could face him for another kiss. He groaned as her legs pressed against his. "Fine." She murmured as his hands took a firm grip on her hips, holding her tightly against his body. "Oh Nick…" Her hands crept up the side of his face and into his hair. Suddenly, she pulled back, patting his hair. "Nick!"

"Wh-what?"

"Your hair!"

"What about it?"

Her fingers sank surprisingly easily into his spiked hair. "I never thought it would be so soft!" He raised an eyebrow as she rubbed her cheek against his hair. "I thought for sure it would be like a helmet. And it's so thick. Your hair is amazing."

He sighed, his grip on her easing up. "My hair's just like that." And there went the moment again.

"But your hair is so spiky. I always thought it was gel." She pawed at his hair, marveling at being able to run her fingers through it and still having it stay somewhat spiked in the back.

And while it did feel good to have Maya's fingers in his hair, he was starting to get frustrated they weren't getting anywhere romantically. And her hips were pressing a little too hard against his crotch to go with the non-romantic mood that had settled in.

Maya, seemingly oblivious to Phoenix's plight, nuzzled her nose in his hair again. "You smell so good. I missed you so much, Nick."

He slipped his arms back around her waist. "I missed you too Maya." He pulled her close and rested his head against her chest while she continued to play with his hair and kiss his forehead softly. At least this way, he could hear her heartbeat. Maybe that would calm him down. Sitting here like this wasn't particularly erotic but it was at least a little romantic. He finally had a quiet moment to just hold her.

"Nick…"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you." She murmured again, gazing down into his warm brown eyes, dark with passion.

"I love you too Maya." She tipped his head back and lowered her lips against his. Phoenix groaned against her lips as her hips started to rock against his lower body. "M…Maya…ah…"

"Nick…I don't think I can take it anymore…"

"Me either." He slid his hands inside her robes, getting a firm grip on her bare skin. Maya threw her head back and moaned loudly as he squeezed.

Blushing at her own voice, she peeked down at him. "No one else is in the offices now, right?" She stared on his shirt buttons, glad he wasn't wearing his vest and jacket.

"Right. This place clears out around six." He tugged at her sash and went for the myriad of ties on her robes.

"Good." She tugged his shirt out of his pants and forced him to let go of her for a moment to get his button up and undershirt off of him. She ran her hands over his shoulders, admiring his well defined upper body, stroking his broad shoulders and upper arms. While she couldn't call him a bodybuilder by any stretch, she certainly understood why he never complained when she begged him for a piggy back ride or jumped into his arms when she was scared. She must have felt like a feather to him. "Wow…" Who knew he was hiding nearly six pack abs beneath his hoodies and suits?

He smiled as she breathed softly. "Like what you see?" She nodded and kissed him again while he pulled off the rest of her robes. "You know I'm going to have to get up to get my pants off." The thought of moving off him for any length of time didn't seem ideal to Maya. Phoenix chuckled at her dilemma. "It's just for a second."

"Fine." She shifted off him, allowing him to get up. "But I get to take off your belt."

Phoenix blushed at Maya's initiative. "O-Okay…"

Maya stood up and while pressing her bare chest against his, she reach down to free him of his pants. Phoenix groaned appreciatively, pulling her close and kissing her again. A rush of cool air told him Maya had succeeded and he pushed her panties down her legs, ridding themselves of the last bits of clothing they needed to. Phoenix laid her back on the couch and gently settled on top of her.

She moaned loudly as Phoenix kissed her throat and massaged her left breast. He could feel her heartbeat quickening as he rocked his hips against hers. "Nick…?"

"Hmm?"

"I…I know this is a terrible time to ask this…but um…do you have…er…" She clawed at the couch, trying to get a grip on something while he moved down her collarbone. "Protection?"

He paused. Right…that. He couldn't very well get the current head of Kurain pregnant before they were even married. "Yeah." He reached over to the table the bag of burgers had been sitting on and opened a small drawer. Pushing aside some papers, he found what he was looking for.

She raised an eyebrow. "You bring women to the office often?"

"No." He rolled his eyes. "I've tried to date off and on. I was usually here before dates and I kept some here just in case."

"Trying to date?"

"I've gone out with a few women here and there. But none of them were you so it never really went anywhere."

She smiled and waited for him to put the condom on so they could get back to business. She bit her lower lip slightly. "You know Nick, it's a little weird doing it with the lights on like this…"

"You're so demanding." He kissed her cheek and grabbed a juggling ball from the table. Before she could ask, he chucked it across the room, smacking the light switch, leaving the only light to be whatever managed to leak in through the side window. "Better?"

"Much." She pulled him back to her again, wrapping her legs around his waist, winning a loud moan from him.

"So…who exactly is this Maya woman?" Athena asked, confused about the phone conversation she'd just overheard.

"She's Mr. Nick's special someone!" Pearl covered her cheeks with her hands, grinning shamelessly.

"She's Papa's girlfriend!" Trucy smiled triumphantly. "I hope this means they're finally gonna get married."

Blackquill snorted. "Wright-dono has a girlfriend?"

Pearl frowned at Blackquill and pushed up one sleeve. "What's that supposed to mean? Mr. Nick is wonderful and he and Mystic Maya are perfect together!"

Athena laughed nervously. She didn't want Peal going up against Blackquill. "Simon didn't mean anything by it Pearly. But you have to admit…the boss is…awkward…around women."

"That's why I asked if they were gonna get it over with. They're stuck there all night just like Mr. Blackquill is stuck here. They'll have to face their feelings or it'll be the most awkward night ever."

Apollo scratched his head and made a face. "I don't know if it works like that Trucy."

"It will!" Trucy and Pearl both yelled at him.

He winced and held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Ms. Maya and Mr. Wright will be a couple after this. Okay."

"Strategic retreat, Justice-dono?" Blackquill chuckled.

Apollo sat back on the couch with his arms crossed. "Would you care to give them a counter-argument, Prosecutor?"

"Well…"

Trucy huffed. "Mr. Blackquill, if you say one more thing about my Papa, I'll make you disappear in my magic panties!"

Apollo wanted a hole to just open up and swallow him whole. "Trucy…this is not the time or place for magic trick threats…" Apollo grabbed Trucy and pulled her down on the couch. "Prosecutor…don't pay her any mind."

Blackquill smirked. "Hmph."

Pearl tilted her head to the side. "Come on Mr. Blackquill. Don't you have a special someone?" The room fell silent. Trucy looked on curiously as Athena and Apollo stared at each other nervously. Blackquill's jaw clenched. Oblivious to his anger, Pearl pressed on. "You're blushing Mr. Blackquill."

"Excuse me." He suddenly stood up, dwarfing the young spirit medium. "I'm afraid I will have to decline your invitation to stay the night. I will head back to my current residence."

As he moved for the door, Athena jumped up. "Simon, you can't go home in this weather. Mr. Wright did not go through all the trouble to have you proved innocent only to have you get hit by a snow plow the day before Christmas!"

Blackquill continued toward the door. "I'll be fine."

"You sit back down!" Athena frowned, her hands on her hips. "You are staying here and spending Christmas with us." She sniffled when he reached for the doorknob. "Please Simon? You're the closest thing to family I have left. Please stay for Christmas?"

Defeated, Simon turned around again. Apollo noted he still had a slight blush on his face. It wasn't hard to miss on his pale skin. So Simon Blackquill did have a special someone. He returned to his seat, resigned. "Very well, Cykes-dono."

She grinned and clasped her hands together. "Yay! So long as Mr. Wright and Ms. Maya can get here tomorrow, it's going to be the best Christmas ever!"

Phoenix was barely able to keep himself from falling on her after their final climax. "Maya…"

Her eyes were closed as she panted his name. "That…that was amazing…" She rasped out.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He eased off her so she could lie more comfortably against him. "I didn't really mean for our first time to be in my office."

"The where isn't really important. I just want to be with you, Nick. The next six months are going to be especially hard."

"I know. But it's just six months. We've waited this long."

"True." She nestled up to him. "Nick, I'm starting to get cold."

"I thought you were never cold." He teased, pulling his jacket off the back of the couch and flipping on a small lamp near the couch.

"It happens sometimes." She stuck out her tongue at him.

He laughed and set his jacket on her shoulders. "Well, we could go again."

Maya blushed. "Don't tempt me to jump on you again."

He kissed her softly. "Give me a second. I should have some pajamas and blankets in here."

"You sleep here Nick?" Maya sounded mildly horrified as she pulled his jacket tighter.

"Occasionally." He shrugged. "If it's a really long case, I have to."

"You really do need my help around the office." She also couldn't help but stare at him as he walked back to the closet. All that biking really paid off. "Promise me you'll walk naked around our bedroom every once in a while when we're married."

"What?" He glanced over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised.

"Not that you don't look amazing in your suits but you have a super cute butt." She grinned. "I want to be able to appreciate it properly when we're married."

Phoenix blushed and quickly slipped on the pair of pajama pants he found. "You're insatiable." He grabbed the matching shirt and a couple blankets. "Here. It'll probably be long enough for you."

Maya slipped the shirt over her head and the sleeves hung at least six inches over her hands and the hem fell right around mid thigh. "You're too tall Nick." She giggled and waved the sleeves at him.

He laughed and laid back on the couch. "Nah, looks like it's the right size to me. You look especially cute in my shirts."

She cuddled up to him as he draped the blanket over her. "I kinda wish tonight didn't have to end."

"It'll be okay." He rubbed her back idly as he looked up at the ceiling. "We can still talk on the phone. I promise to visit with Trucy and the others. Once Pearls is named head of Kurain, you can come back here."

"It's still going to feel like forever."

"I know. I'd rather not let you go…but we both know…"

"I know."

Phoenix sighed and smoothed her hair down. "We'll be okay. Though Pearls and Trucy will never let us hear the end of it. I hope you're okay with suddenly adopting a 16 year old." He chuckled.

Maya giggled. "I can't wait."

He reached behind his head and flipped off the light. "We should try to get some sleep. We might be digging ourselves out tomorrow."

"I guess." Maya nestled deeper in his arms. "Good night, Nick."

"Good night Maya." Phoenix glanced at the clock as he started to drift off. 12:07. "Merry Christmas."

She kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"I've got a present for you back at the apartment."

"How? What is it? You didn't know I was coming."

"You'll have to wait and see. If it told you now, it would ruin the surprise."

"How am I supposed to sleep when you got me something and won't tell me?"

"I'm not spoiling the surprise." He chuckled as Maya huffed. "You're too much."

She had a hard time keeping a grumpy face when Phoenix kept gently stroking her hair. "You win for now." She loved the feeling of his fingers running through her hair and would have to soak it in as much as possible to make the next six months bearable.

Phoenix's hand settled on her shoulder after a while. He began to close his eyes but as he started to drift off to sleep, a thought hit him. "Wait a minute…"

"What's wrong?"

"We're snowed in."

"Yes…?"

"Apollo and the others are snowed in too…"

"And…?"

"And Simon Blackquill is in my apartment. Snowed in…"

"Didn't you prove he _wasn't_ a murderer? What are you worried about?"

"I may have proved neither he nor Athena are killers but…he still doesn't like me."

"Prosecutors don't like you Nick. How many perfect records did you destroy? You've embarrassed all of them on the stand."

"Well…I know he's going to give me grief about the state of the apartment…it's not exactly clean. Trucy's tricks get a little…messy sometimes. I haven't exactly had time to straighten up lately."

"Just remind him you saved his life so your apartment can look however you want it to."

Phoenix groaned. "Christmas is going to be interesting…"

She smiled. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Phoenix woke up to two distinct feelings, one familiar, the other not so much. The first feeling he was aware of was the crick in his neck that always came with a night spent on the office couch. The second was the feeling of someone lying on his chest. His bare chest, he corrected himself.

Moving the blanket, his hand passed over a slim shoulder, covered by what felt like his shirt.

"Mmmm…" The woman on top of him shifted, nearly making him moan. Okay, maybe it had been too long since he'd been with a woman. He rubbed his eyes and focused on the mess of glossy black hair spilled across his chest.

Looking to the side, he saw the remnants of the food she'd brought. He closed his eyes and smiled. "Maya…" He murmured. She really had shown up at the office last night with dinner. It wasn't a dream. She loved him and she accepted his proposal. He had to resist the urge to wake her up and start up again. He wasn't exactly sure how she was going to react to waking up on top of him. No need to scare her before she was completely awake.

"Hnnn?" The woman in question moved again and, realizing she was not in a bed per say, began touching his chest, trying to determine where she was.

Phoenix sucked in a sharp breath. Not that he didn't enjoy her delicate fingers running across his chest but he had concluded it was really too early to go at it. But she wasn't making it easy to resist. "Maya…quit it."

Hearing her name, she pushed herself up to get a good look at her partner. Eyes wide, she looked around the room, confirming they were on the couch in the Wright Anything Agency. "Nick…?"

"Morning. Merry Christmas."

She grinned. "You already said that."

"It's still Christmas. And seeing as how you're here, it's going to be extremely merry."

She laid back down on his shoulder, resting her hand on his chest. "I was afraid last night was a dream…"

He laid his hand over hers, thinking about how small hers was compared to his. "No dreams."

Maya took a deep breath and sighed, tickling his neck as she did so. "I can't even tell you how happy I am right now, Nick."

He tightened his grip on her waist and kissed her forehead. "I've got a pretty good idea."

She grinned. "Yeah, I guess you would."

Nick rubbed her back gently. "You know, we're gonna have to get up some time. We have to see if we can get back to the apartment…"

"Yeah. I know. But you are really comfy. And warm."

"My bed is comfier than this couch. Just saying." He chuckled. "Besides, how am I supposed to give you your present if we stay here all day?"

"Ah! Right!" Maya threw back the blanket and jumped up. "Let's get home. Your daughter is probably worried about you."

Phoenix momentarily regretted the simultaneous loss of the blanket and her body. Sitting up, he wrapped one blanket around her shoulders and took the other as he walked over to the window. Not that he could see a whole lot but it was worth checking. Pulling up the shade, he looked down into the alley between the buildings at the dumpster. To his surprise, it didn't look too deeply buried in snow.

Maya appeared next to him suddenly and Phoenix wrapped his arm around her shoulders without even thinking. She huddled close to him. "How's it look?"

"We should be able to get back home. I don't think I'd really call last night a blizzard. Just a really good excuse to stay in. I'll turn on the news while we get ready and see how much snow actually fell."

"Okay." She didn't leave his side immediately. And he said nothing about it. He was thoroughly enjoying just standing there with her.

Except then the phone rang. Phoenix groaned, assuming it was Trucy. "Why's she even awake now?" He left the blanket with Maya and shuffled over to the phone. But to his surprise, it wasn't his home number or Trucy's cell on the caller ID. It was Edgeworth. He cleared his throat and picked up the phone. "Good morning, Wright speaking."

"_I was afraid you'd be in the office."_

"Merry Christmas to you too, Edgeworth."

Phoenix heard Edgeworth sigh heavily. _"Merry Christmas, Wright. Why aren't you home with your daughter? Did you spent the whole night doing paperwork in the office? In the middle of a snowstorm?"_

"She knew where I was. Apollo and Athena are with her. Plus…I wasn't exactly doing paperwork…"

"_A fine way to spend a holiday…" _

Maya, hearing bits of what Edgeworth was saying, walked closer to the phone. "Good morning Mr. Edgeworth! Merry Christmas!"

"_W…Who was that?" _

"It's me, Maya! Don't you remember me, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"_M-Maya Fey?"_

"The one and only, Edgeworth." Phoenix bit back a chuckle as he could practically hear Edgeworth blushing as the realization began to dawn on the chief prosecutor. "I did say I didn't really end up doing paperwork…"

"_OH…oh…I see…yes…well then…"_

"We're getting married Edgeworth." It seemed a little wrong to be telling Edgeworth before Trucy or Pearl but he happened to be the first person to call. And Maya just had to speak up.

"_Ah. Well…it's been a long time coming. Congratulations to the both of you. Merry Christmas, Wright. Ms. Fey." _

Maya burst out giggling when the line went dead. Phoenix shook his head. "I think you just traumatized the poor man."

"He's the one who had to call Christmas morning to yell at you. By the way, I can't believe you were going to do a mountain of paperwork on Christmas Eve."

"Well…I have to get it done some time…"

"But Christmas Eve, Nick?" Maya gathered up her clothes and started getting redressed. 

"I know…hey, it's not like I even managed to write my name down yesterday. And I'm not going to be able to get anything done while you're here." Nick slipped back into his clothes, not exactly taking care to look that neat.

Maya took a comb that Phoenix offered and detangled her hair as best she could after tying her sash back on. "Do you have a coat I can borrow?"

"I'm sure there's something in the closet." He pulled out his long white coat and a light blue women's coat. "I don't think Athena will mind if you wear her coat home. She'll probably want it when she goes home anyway."

"Thanks Nick." He held open the coat for her as she slipped in. "I guess we better see how it really is out there."

"Yeah." He slipped his shoe covers on, grabbed his briefcase and opened the door for her. Phoenix glanced at her feet as she walked past him. "Maya…"

"What?"

"You're going to walk around in the snow in your sandals?"

"I don't have any other shoes with me."

"Your feet are going to freeze."

"Then give me a piggy back ride." She grinned as they reached the lobby door.

Phoenix looked at the ground. There looked to be at least six inches of snow on the ground. And while it wouldn't be the best for his pants, he couldn't very well let Maya walk effectively barefoot back to the apartment. "Alright."

"I was kidding Nick."

"I'm not. I'm not letting my fiancée freeze her feet off in the snow. Trucy would be upset if I let you do that too." Phoenix handed her his briefcase and crouched for her to climb up.

She looped her arms around his neck, and jumped a little so he could get a grip on her legs. And awkward as it was to hold his briefcase while holding onto his neck, she had to admit she was glad to have more of her legs covered thanks to his arms.

It was a pretty quiet walk back to the Wright apartment. Maya occupied herself with nuzzling Phoenix's hair and occasionally nipping at his ear. He would answer with a protest if they were in particularly deep snow or turn to the side for a quick kiss if the sidewalk had been cleared.

What was usually a five minute walk home had turned into a twenty minute trudge. But Phoenix did have the love of his life hanging onto him so he didn't mind. He set her down in the apartment lobby and dusted the unmelted snow from his pants.

"Thank you Nick. That would have been a really cold walk otherwise." She grabbed his collar and gave him a long lingering kiss. Phoenix blushed and momentarily pulled her close. "Mmmm, Nick…"

"Maya…we better get upstairs. Everyone will probably be waking up soon. I'd like us to both get a chance to clean up before it gets too crazy…"

"Mmmm…fine. You're right." He took her hand and they went up to the fifth floor where his apartment was.

Phoenix opened the door as quietly as possible, not sure who would actually be awake or even where everyone had been sleeping. As he feared, Blackquill was already awake and staring at them the moment they entered the door. Nothing like feeling like an intruder in his own home.

"Good morning, Wright-dono." He smirked at his somewhat disheveled appearance then looked at Maya. "This must be Miss Maya Fey."

Maya nodded. "Prosecutor Blackquill, I presume?"

"Indeed. Miss Pearl speaks very highly of you. And Miss Trucy will be ecstatic to meet you, I assume. She could barely sit still last night."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "Sorry there wasn't really any other place to sleep other than the couch."

Blackquill shook his head. "I was imposing on your household. Still more comfortable than a prison bed."

"Those detention center beds are terrible aren't they?"

"And what would you know of the other side of the detention center, Fey-dono?

"Well…I was accused of killing my sister when I was sixteen. Nick was my attorney. He believed in me when no one else did and proved it was all part of a bigger plot. But I still spent a few nights in jail."

"I…see…" Phoenix could see Blackquill making a mental note to look up the case.

"I'm going to take a quick shower Nick." She handed him her borrowed coat and picked up her travel bag Pearl had brought to the apartment.

"Alright. I'll hop in after you." Blackquill chuckled to himself after Maya was out of earshot. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Blackquill smirked but said nothing else. Phoenix occupied himself with starting a full pot of coffee. The pot was nearly full when Trucy came out of her room rubbing her eyes. She noticed Blackquill first, then her father. Her face lit up and she barreling into him. "Papa!"

Phoenix pat her on the head. "Good morning Trucy. Sorry I didn't make it home last night."

"It's okay. Everyone else was here. And you were finally out with a woman. You did bring Ms. Maya here, didn't you?"

"Yes. She's here. She's in the shower. And I'm taking a shower after her. Don't go after Maya about last night until I'm out of the shower, got it?"

"Fiiiiiiiiine." Trucy hopped up on the kitchen counter, swinging her legs back and forth while Phoenix made coffee. "Ms. Maya wasn't a one night stand, right?"

The question made Phoenix slam the cupboard door on his hand. He yelped and looked at her. "Of course not. Why would you ask me that? And can we not talk about my relationship in front of Prosecutor Blackquill?"

"Don't mind me, Wright-dono. This is your home."

It annoyed Phoenix greatly that Blackquill was still smirking. But he shook it off. "Trucy, do you remember that thing I asked you to find online a while ago? That's for Maya. I'm going to give it to her today."

"Oooooooh, that thing. I still think it's silly. Why would she want something like that? Are you really gonna blow a relationship you just started?"

"I have known Maya for a very long time. And you'll see when I give it to her."

"Give me what?" Phoenix jumped when Maya padded into the kitchen in his bathrobe and her hair up in a towel. "Are you talking about my Christmas present that I still don't know how you could have prepared?"

Trucy lit up at the sight of Maya. "Papa, she's really pretty." Maya blushed. "Kinda seems too pretty for an old fart like you."

Maya giggled. Phoenix groaned. "I'm taking a shower now." He sighed and headed to the bathroom.

"You must be Trucy." She grinned and nodded. "Sorry I'm not dressed yet."

"That's fine. Pearl is still asleep in my room but you can finish getting dressed in there."

"Thank you Trucy. And thanks for letting my cousin stay in your room."

"It was fun. She's like the sister I never had." She looked up at Maya. "You and Papa are gonna have kids right? I'd really like a little brother or sister."

Maya blushed and Blackquill stepped in. "Miss Trucy, I believe you're asking questions your father doesn't want you to ask yet."

"Aw, come on."

"At least let Fey-dono get dressed and have some coffee."

"Thank you Prosecutor."

"Call me Simon. At least for now, we are not in court. And it's Christmas."

"Then you have to call me Maya. You don't need to be so formal either. You too Trucy."

"Very well."

"Okay!"

Maya ran off to Trucy's room to get dressed. Blackquill looked at Trucy, who was staring at her door. "I take it you approve of your father's choice in women?"

"She's amazing. I can't believe she likes my dad."

Blackquill chuckled. "It sounds to me like they have a very strong connection to each other."

"I still think he's giving her a ridiculous gift for Christmas. But if she really does like it…I guess that means they are made for each other."

"What did your father get her?"

"I probably shouldn't say." She looked toward the bedroom to see if Maya was coming out yet. "If she hears she might leave."

Blackquill shook his head. "I don't think your father would have gotten whatever it is if he wasn't sure she would like it."

"You guys need to stop talking about whatever it is Nick got me. You're driving me crazy."

"But it's silly."

Maya clicked her tongue. "Nick knows what I like. I'll bet you a month of his bathroom cleaning that I love whatever he got me."

"That's not even a fair bet! You could just pretend to like it."

"There are three fabulous lawyers and an awesome prosecutor in the house. They'll know if I'm pretending."

Trucy contemplated this. "Okay. You're on. Simon, you're our witness." She shook hands with Maya.

"Very well."

"Alright. That's settled." She opened the fridge and pulled out some milk for her coffee. "I want pancakes. Trucy, does Nick still keep pancake mix in the top cabinet?"

"Yeah!" Trucy looked Maya over, now dressed in pair of pink leggings and a purple sweater dress with a wide collar so most of her shoulders were bare. Her hair was loosely braided, just enough to keep her hair out of her face. She didn't have any makeup on but Trucy was sure she didn't need it. "You're seriously too pretty for Papa."

"Thank you, Trucy. But be nice. I happen to adore your father. I'll get the pancake mix." Maya grinned and started to climb up the counter. Blackquill rolled his eyes and stepped into the kitchen. He reached over Maya's head and opened the cabinet, spotting the box she was looking for. He took it down and handed it to her. "Thank you Simon."

By the time Phoenix arrived in the kitchen, a groggy pajama-clad Apollo behind him, Maya, Trucy and Blackquill were fussing over the stove.

"That's not a teddy bear, Mr. Blackquill." Trucy looked up at the brooding prosecutor.

"The prisoner didn't appreciate pancake art. Excuse me for my lack of finesse." He glared down at the unwavering stare of the sixteen year old.

Apollo rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still asleep. He really needed that coffee. Phoenix chuckled as Maya waved a spatula at both of them. "Play nice! It's not any less tasty even if it does look like a…whatever it is…"

Blackquill growled and flipped the pancake onto the pile they'd made so far. Pearl and Athena had joined everyone in the kitchen by now, also in their pajamas. Athena peaked around Blackquill's shoulder at the pile of pancakes.

"Aw, what a cute snail, Simon!" Athena quipped. Apollo snorted, nearly choking on his coffee. Phoenix was starting to feel sorry for Blackquill.

"I think that's enough pancakes." Phoenix laid a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Let's eat."

"You're probably right." Maya smiled and brought the plate over to the table.

Trucy couldn't hide her grin as Maya scooted her chair closer to Phoenix at the table. Her father had forgone his usual suit today in favor of a pair of jeans, a blue button up shirt left open with rolled sleeves and a white t-shirt underneath. Seeing him like this next to Maya, they were the perfect couple in her eyes. At least until he gave her that ridiculous present and she walked out the door with Pearl.

After breakfast, presents were exchanged. Among other things, Athena gave Apollo a year's membership to the local beauty supply store, stating he'd be able to get his hair gel much cheaper there. Apollo gave Trucy a new hat and cloak since she was growing out of her current ones. Trucy got her father new red ties, saying he couldn't go into court against Blackquill with his new suit with old ties. Athena also gave Blackquill a scarf, patterned like Taka's feathers. Maya and Pearl give everyone souvenirs from Kurain.

Finally Maya was just about to burst, wondering what Phoenix had for her. He got up for a minute to retrieve her present from his room. It was a sizable box, covered in Steel Samurai wrapping paper, much to Apollo and Athena's dismay.

"Boss…really?"

But Maya obviously didn't mind. She grinned as Phoenix kissed her cheek and handed her the box. "Merry Christmas Maya."

"Thank you." Everyone watched curiously as she set the box on the table in front of her and tore open the wrapping. The moment she saw the front of the box, her eyes lit up and the squeal she made was nearly inhuman. "I love you Nick!" She launched herself at him, knocking them both off the couch. He landed flat on his back, just missing smashing his shoulder on the table, Maya on top of him, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

Trucy looked mildly horrified. Pearl covered her face with her hands, gushing about how cute it was. Apollo, Athena and Blackquill were too stunned to move.

"Wh-what is it?" Blackquill finally managed, the first to overcome the shock.

Maya relinquished her hold on Phoenix, just long enough to hold the box triumphantly above her head. "It's the limited edition 10th anniversary Steel Samurai engagement ring and holder. There were only 250 of them ever made and it's nearly impossible to find someone willing to part with one. I know. I tried for three years to get one. It's a white gold, diamond and ruby replica of the ring Steel Samurai gave to Pink Princess when he proposed. The box is held by a 1/6th scale Steel Samurai figurine sculpted and painted by Hiro Amago, maker of the highest quality Steel Samurai merchandise ever!" She set the box back down and kissed Phoenix again. "If I hadn't already said yes last night, I sure would have now."

"Y-You actually like it?" Trucy stammered. She couldn't believe Maya had just rattled off so much information about the figure and ring.

"Steel Samurai is Mystic Maya's favorite show." Pearl giggled.

"Trucy, who do you think sent me all those episodes of Steel Samurai?

"Th-That was Maya?" Her shoulders sagged. "Aw man. Now I have to clean the bathroom for an extra month."

"Wait, what?" Phoenix asked between kisses.

"I bet Trucy a month of your bathroom duties on whether or not I'd like the gift. Simon was our witness. Fair bet."

Athena clasped her hands together. "Aren't they just the cutest, Apollo?"

"Umm, I guess?"

She smacked him on the arm. "They're adorable!"

Apollo jerked back. "Okay, okay! They're adorable!"

Phoenix pulled a smaller box out of his pocket and opened it up in front of Maya. "I figure you won't actually want to wear the ring from the set so I got this one for every day wear."

The second ring her presented her was a more practical ring with a smaller diamond and fewer rubies, but it was beautiful nonetheless. And it was still the colors of the Steel Samurai ring so she was happy. Her eyes shone with tears. "Aw Nick, you big dork. You're too perfect. I love you"

He slipped the ring on her finger as he sat up to kiss her again. "I love you too Maya." He smiled, wiping her tears away.

"Way to go, Boss." Apollo grinned.

Athena was bawling into Blackquill's coat, muttering something about how beautiful it was. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Wright-dono. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together."

Trucy looked like she was about to burst into tears herself. As Phoenix and Maya stood up, she ran at them, wrapping her arms around the two of them. "Papa…Maya…" Phoenix and Maya automatically wrapped their arms around Trucy. "Maya…I'm really glad you came for Christmas."

"Me too, Trucy."

By now, Pearl had started crying on Apollo's shoulder, much like Athena. He and Blackquill glanced at each other, shrugging slightly, just letting the girls sob.

Once the excitement and tears calmed down, Maya declared it time to start preparing Christmas dinner and put everyone in the apartment to work, Blackquill included. Everyone was more than a little surprised Blackquill didn't protest to working in Phoenix's kitchen. But all the prep work went fast with all the extra hands and it was just a matter of waiting for everything to cook.

Blackquill actually cracked a smile or two over dinner, mostly at Apollo's expense but he was overall fairly pleasant. Pearl and Athena were still commenting about how cute Phoenix and Maya were. And while Trucy was a little grumpy about extra bathroom cleaning, she still admired the second ring her father got Maya and decided she was going to be in charge of planning the wedding.

Athena finally started yawning as the table was cleared and everything began to calm down. Blackquill noticed first. "Tired, Athena?"

"It's been an exciting week, don't you think? I think I get to be tired. I sure could use a quiet night in my own bed." She glanced out the window. "But it's so dark. The one thing I don't like about winter…"

"I will take you home. I've imposed upon Wright-dono long enough."

"Oh! Great!" Athena perked up. "There is actually something else I wanted to give you but it's at my apartment so this is perfect."

Phoenix shook his head. "You're not imposing. It made for a fun Christmas."

"Still. I'm quite sure you would like to enjoy the rest of your Christmas with your fiancée and immediate family in a quieter apartment."

"Simon's right." Apollo glanced at Blackquill, who didn't seem to mind being called by his first name. "We should clear out so you and Maya can have some time to yourselves." He looked at Pearl and Trucy. "So you two gotta leave them alone, okay?"

"What are you gonna do the rest of the night, Polly?" When he didn't immediately answer, Trucy got suspicious. "Polly?"

"I'm busy. I have…things to do…"

"What kind of things?"

Everyone in the apartment was staring at him now. Apollo pulled at his collar. "I…have a date, okay?"

"You do?"

"Don't make it sound so unbelievable." Apollo fumed. "We set it up before this week happened and I wasn't going to cancel on her so…yeah."

"I hate to be as nosy as Trucy, but who is she?" Phoenix did feel bad prying but he'd made no mention of a date in recent memory. And after this week, he was really surprised Apollo wanted to go out.

"If the date goes well, I'll tell you later."

Phoenix stopped Trucy before she could bombard the poor man with more questions. And he couldn't help but note that Athena didn't look entirely surprised at the prospect of Apollo going on a date. In fact, she looked pretty happy. He had a pretty good idea of where the young lawyer was going now.

Blackquill retrieved his coat and Athena's. Apollo grabbed his and everyone said their goodbyes for the night. Trucy asked Pearl what was so great about the Steel Samurai. Pearl giggled and grabbed a DVD set before the two retreated to Trucy's room to watch.

Phoenix and Maya, finally alone, looked at each other. He took her hand. "What do you want to do now?"

"Can we just cuddle on the couch for a while?" She flipped on the TV, some random cheesy Christmas romance droning on.

"Sure." Phoenix sat down and pulled her into his lap. Maya nestled up to him. He nuzzled her ear, nipping lightly. "Maya…"

She slid her fingers into his hair again, whispering his name softly. "Merry Christmas, Nick."

"Merry Christmas." Phoenix loved the way she cooed softly at his touch. He had to admit, it was kind of weird doing this with Maya when Trucy and Pearl were so close, just a walk down the small hallway and through a door. But he couldn't keep his hands off Maya. And her hands were just as busy as his.

Phoenix knew if they carried on much longer like this, they'd never make it off the couch. Again. "Maya…"

"What?" She moaned softly as his kisses trailed from her lips to the crook of her neck.

"As much as I like sitting here with you…" He murmured between nips. "I have to say, my bed is more comfortable…"

"That's right…" She groaned, her hips grinding against him. "There's a bed here…"

"Let's go."

"Only if you promise not to wear a shirt again."

"Promise." She relinquished her hold on him long enough to let him stand up. Phoenix picked her up, earning a yelp of surprise from her, and practically ran back to his bedroom.

They both quickly washed up in the little half bath attached to Phoenix's room and quickly got ready for bed. Ignoring her own sleepwear, Maya fished one of his Ivy University shirts out of the dresser and slipped into it and little else. Phoenix considered his options before putting on another pair of the same pants he kept in the office. There was a pretty good chance they wouldn't even be on for that long anyway.

She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "You smell so good Nick. God, I love it."

He blushed, wrapping his arms around her. "That's the second time you've said that tonight. What exactly do I smell like?"

She inhaled deeply. "Old law books. And fresh air. And that cologne you have that smells like…I don't know…a forest?" She stood on her tip toes and nuzzled his neck as she inhaled again. "It makes me so happy you still wear that cologne."

"Well, I'll never stop wearing it now." He lifted her chin, kissing her deeply. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be this affectionate with someone. Then he remembered, he'd probably never been THIS affectionate with anyone. He'd never really wanted to be with someone every moment of every day the way he did with Maya. Even if they weren't necessarily being romantic, he wanted her by his side. She was right. The next six months were going to be agonizingly long.

"What do I smell like, Nick? And don't you dare say burgers."

He grinned. "Well, I'm going to have to think a little harder now."

She jabbed him in the side with her finger. "Meanie."

His grin just widened as he pulled her in again. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing deeply. "I don't have to think about it. You always smell like vanilla and strawberries. And that soap from Kurain. I don't know what's in it but smells so good."

"I didn't know you liked that soap so much." She giggled as he kissed her forehead, leading her to bed.

"When I smell it, it means you're around."

"Oh my gosh, Nick. You're lucky I already love you because that was almost too cheesy." She giggled, sliding under the covers.

Phoenix got in beside her, cradling her to his chest. "Almost means you still like it."

"You got me there." She ran a line of kisses up his jaw to his ear. "You're such a cute old fart, you know that?"

He shivered slightly as her breath passed over his skin. Even if she was being a pain by calling him old again. "And you're an adorable pain in my backside."

Maya giggled, grabbing his rear, making him yelp. "You bet I am." She pushed him over onto his back so she could climb on top of him. Phoenix argued with none of it, running his hands along her hips and enjoying a long, lingering kiss. She gasped softly as his hands proceeded to slip under her shirt. He raised an eyebrow as he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear. She just grinned. "We're going to make the most of tonight Nick."

Phoenix nodded, smiling as he pulled her to him again. He reached over, flipping the light next to his bed off. If this was going to be their last night together for months, they were certainly going to make it last.

Oh hell. I don't know how that ended up 30 pages long. I haven't had that long of a mostly coherent thought in a long time. Yeesh.

Anyway…currently working on a sequel that takes place after Maya's return. Thinking about writing a couple pieces about Athena's other gift to Blackquill (I actually did have something in mind while writing this) and/or Apollo's date.

Dual Destinies reminded me how much I love Ace Attorney. I'm currently going back through the games. I have a serious crush on Phoenix. It's ridiculous really.

Talk to me about Ace Attorney on tumblr. User name: missazurerose

-The Shadow Hawk


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